2023 NFC South Draft recap
6 min read
In the 2023 NFC South Draft recap, the Saints took former TCU running back Kendre Miller 71st overall.
The mantra for the NFC South this season could be out with the old and in with the new. Former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was taken first overall for the Panthers and it was not long thereafter that the Falcons selected one of the draft’s best playmakers in Texas’ Bijan Robinson.
In Tampa Bay, the days of the dominant three-technique defensive tackle have a chance to return with the selection of Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey with the 20th overall selection. The Buccaneers also secured one of the draft’s most versatile offensive linemen in North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch. It should help with their offensive line depth facing some of the defensive line units in the NFC South.
How did the Saints respond with a brand new quarterback already in the mix with Derek Carr? Their draft recap included an underrated receiver in the sixth round. In addition, they filled the need for an interior pass rusher with the selection of Clemson’s Bryan Bresee. And Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey offers additional help on the front seven after the team lost David Onyemata in free agency.
| 2023 NFL Draft Recap, NFC South | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | ||||||
| Rd/Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (8) | Bijan Robinson | RB-Texas | 10/1st Round | The 2022 Doak Walker Award winner makes defenders miss on a continuous basis and contains the ability to catch the ball down the field effortlessly. He will team well with Tyler Allgier. | 5 | |
| 2 (38) FROM INDIANAPOLIS | Matthew Bergeron 6’5 318 | OT/OG-Syracuse | 37/2nd Round | Bergeron will have to compete at an interior line position with the Falcons being set on the edges with Matthews and McGary. He has plenty of competition at the spots from former draft picks across the board. | 5 | They moved up to the 38th overall pick by giving Indianapolis their 44th overall pick and the 110th overall pick (4TH ROUND) in this year’s draft |
| 3 (75) | Zach Harrison 6’5 274 | DE-Ohio State | 151/3rd Round | It can be argued that Harrison may have underachieved in college, but he finished with 25.5 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles, an interception and 10 pass breakups. | 4 | |
| 4 (113) | Clark Phillips III 5’9 184 | CB-Nickel-Utah | 71/2nd Round | One of the draft’s best at reading the eyes of the quarterback, Phillips III took three interceptions to the house in 2022. | 5 | |
| 7 (224) | DeMarcco Hellams 6’1 213 | S-Alabama | 250/4th Round | The former high school wide receiver at DeMatha Catholic High School showcases a sloppy play disposition and displays a lack of urgency at times | 5 | |
| 7 (225) | Jovaughn Gwyn 6’2 301 | OC-South Carolina | 268/4th Round | The team captain and 47-game starter in school has leverage and forces defenders to keep their heads on a swivel if he doesn’t have work. He cleans up piles relentlessly. A lack of length may have been the reason for the seventh-round selection, but he can compete for a position at the right guard spot. | 4.5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Justin Marshall 6’2 227 | WR-Buffalo, Louisville | 236/4th Round | Marshall only flashed at Louisville, but he ended his career on a high note as an improved route runner at Buffalo. | 4 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.75 | |||||
| Carolina Panthers | ||||||
| Rd/Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (1) | Bryce Young 5’10 204 | QB-Alabama | 17/2nd Round | Young’s ascent to the top of the draft comes off of a two-year run in which he limited mistakes and won 24 games. | 4.5 | |
| 2 (39) | Jonathan Mingo 6’2 220 | WR-Ole Miss | 87/3rd Round | Mingo’s physical profile is complemented by a smooth style. He wins on the contested catches and will be asked to produce early in Carolina alongside a couple of veterans to learn from in Adam Thielen and DJ Chark. | 4 | |
| 3 (80) | D.J. Johnson 6’4 260 | OLB-DE/Oregon | 149/3rd Round | When the team defined the former tight end’s responsibility (i.e. stunt or spike), his skills began to come out. They used him to walk out over the slot, rush from a two-point stance as an outside linebacker and play with his hand in the dirt. He is an inconsistent bender once up the field. | 4 | |
| 4 (114) | Chandler Zavala 6’3 1/2” 322 | OG-NC State, Fairmont State | 50/2nd Round | One of the better offensive guards in this year’s draft, Zavala fell quite a bit due to injury concerns dating back to his time at Fairmont State. | 5 | |
| 5 (145) | Jammie Robinson 5’11 194 | S-Nickel/FSU, South Carolina | 108/3rd Round | Robinson’s instincts date back to his time at South Carolina, when he was a multi-purpose defender. That theme continued at FSU, when he earned back-to-back first-team all-conference honors. | 5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Jalen Redmond 6’2 293 | DT-Oklahoma | 284/4th Round | He has lined up at defensive end and defensive tackle with varying degrees of success. His versatility gives him an opportunity to stick. | 5 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.5 | |||||
| New Orleans Saints | ||||||
| Rd/Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (29) | Bryan Bresee 6’5 298 | DT/Clemson | 96/3rd Round | Bresee’s lateral agility could help the team make up for the loss of David Onyemata (Falcons) in free agency. The Saints needed an interior pass rusher and Bresee should fit the bill. | 4 | |
| 2 (40) | Isaiah Foskey 6’5 264 | DE-OLB-Notre Dame | 52/2nd Round | Foskey has room to grow as a diverse hand displacement pass rusher, but should learn quite a bit from Cameron Jordan in Year 1. In the meantime, his special teams kick blocking prowess could come into play. | 5 | |
| 3 (71) | Kendre Miller 5’11 215 | RB-TCU | 98/3rd Round | Miller delivers when he correctly identifies the most dangerous rush threat. More than anything, his running style incorporates the fluidity to hop in-and-out of tackle attempts in a forward manner. | 4.5 | |
| 4 (103) | Nick Saldiveri 6’6 318 | OT-OG/Old Dominion | 119/3rd Round | Saldiveri understands angles and excels as a position blockers. A collegiate right tackle projected to guard, he could possibly even swing to the backup center position in a pinch. | 4.5 | |
| 4 (127) | Jake Haener 6’0 209 | QB-Fresno State | 178/3rd Round | Haener’s arm strength impresses as if he were a much bigger man. The 2023 Senior Bowl MVP has many of the tools to succeed as a backup signal-caller in this year’s draft. | 4.5 | Traded a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round to the Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 5 (146) | Jordan Howden 6’0 205 | S-Minnesota | 265/4th Round | The 49-game starter and team captain has some similarities to Rams safety Russ Yeast. He has experience covering the slot and run under 4.5 in pre-draft workouts. | 4.5 | |
| 6 (195) | A.T. Perry 6’3 195 | WR-Wake Forest | 79/2nd Round | Perry’s unorthodox style often confused opponents and then he would easily stride by them. But he has very good extension capability and invites press-man coverage as opposed to off coverage. | 5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Anthony Johnson 6’1 205 | CB-Virginia | 131/3rd Round | Johnson did not blow up the postseason circuit, but he proves capable of executing in zone coverage and possesses footwork to play in space. | ||
| Draft Grade: | 4.57 | |||||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ||||||
| Rd/Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Notes | Value (1-5) | |
| 1 (19) | Calijah Kancey 6’1 281 | DT/Pittsburgh | 20/1st Round | Kancey was one of the more active defenders in the country despite weighing in just the 280-pound range. Can he continue to make plays at the same high level in the NFC South against guards the size of | 5 | |
| 2 (48) | Cody Mauch 6’5 302 | OT-OG-North Dakota State | 84/3rd Round | Mauch’s competitiveness gets high marks. The second-team FCS All-American plays with a 'nasty' demeanor that complements above average movement. He has starting potential, but ranks as a versatile swing backup in Year 1. | 4.5 | |
| 3 (82) | YaYa Diaby 6’3 264 | DE/OLB-Louisville | 98/3rd Round | At Louisville, he was seen playing all over the defensive front in a number of spots (five-technique DE, three-technique DT and four-technique DE) within the team's multiple fronts. At 264 pounds, how far can that expand? | 5 | |
| 5 (153) | SirVocea Dennis 6’0 1/2” 226 | LB-Pittsburgh | 223/4th Round | A lightly-regarded recruit coming out of high school, he has shown the skill-set at Pitt to even align in the deep middle one-third on occasion. He finished his career with 233 tackles and posted a 41 1/2” vertical in pre-draft workouts. | 4.5 | |
| 5 (171) | Payne Durham 6’5 255 | TE-Purdue | 222/4th Round | Durham may have to win in the NFL much like he did in school as a box-out threat over the middle or at the sticks. Hardly afraid of contact in the middle of the field, he can be a factor down the seams of the field if he can create a free release. | 4.5 | |
| 6 (181) | Josh Hayes 5’11 197 | CB-Nickel-Kansas State, Virginia, North Dakota State | 559/6th Round | In 2022, he resurfaced at Kansas State and began to see action as a free safety. There is an element of fire burning somewhere when he decides to hit the gap pedal to fill alleys. Hayes does leave some dive tackle attempts on the field, but he made a high volume of plays behind the line of scrimmage as a senior. | 3.5 | |
| 6 (196) | Jose Ramirez 6’3 242 | OLB-Eastern Michigan | 147/3rd Round | Ramirez bends the corner well and has a long-arm maneuver that excites despite just average overall bulk. How will the MAC Defensive Player of the Year translate to battling the size of NFL tackles? He should insert as a nickel rush candidate if he makes the final roster. Ramirez was also a sixth-round pick in the 2023 USFL Draft. | 5 | |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Rakim Jarrett 6’0 192 | WR-Maryland | 126/3rd Round | Jarrett’s numbers took a big dip in Year 3, as he turned into much more of a possession threat. He could, however, become a better pro than collegian with his toughness and flex capability. | 5 | |
| Draft Grade: | 4.57 |
About Author
